Rugby League World Cup 2021 (Merged Threads)

[The Future is League]

5 hours ago, DI Keith Fowler said:

As expected the thread has descended into a lot of Aussie bashing and I just want you all to know I'm here for it. 

Get the word out in Oz that the NRL are spineless and their decision is manna from heaven for fumbleball there and Vicky Kicky house will fully exploit this cowardly act by the NRL clubs to push their game even further into NSW and QLD pointing out quite clearly that the NRL lacks courage. With the SOO on the wane in Australia the one thing you had over fumbleball was international competition. You have lost your last advantage.

[londonrlfan]

Just now, Griff said:

So - no, then.

I like a dreamer but they're not much help.

And what do you suggest instead?

No international RL = no RL

How much did the first 4 Nations make out of interest?

[Griff]

9 minutes ago, londonrlfan said:

So what do you suggest instead then? Sitting around waiting to see if the NRL say yes? 

I suggest that the RFL is not, at the moment, in a strong enough financial position to throw money away on running loss-making events.

[GeordieSaint]

8 minutes ago, londonrlfan said:

So what do you suggest instead then? Sitting around waiting to see if the NRL say yes? 

Absolutely not. 

Start slowly with your strongest opponent; France. Enable the others to play each other. Qualify to play against England and Frannce. Then a 3-nations etc etc... the WC qualifying process led by the ERL is a good example of a structure with teams playing at the correct level and qualifying for the next stage...

[Griff]

1 minute ago, londonrlfan said:

And what do you suggest instead?

No international RL = no RL

How much did the first 4 Nations make out of interest?

Dunno - why are you asking me ?

[londonrlfan]

1 minute ago, Griff said:

I suggest that the RFL is not, at the moment, in a strong enough financial position to throw money away on running loss-making events.

Without internationals, the RFL will be in an even worse position. 

[londonrlfan]

2 minutes ago, Griff said:

Dunno - why are you asking me ?

Well because you seem to be against the idea of playing NH teams more. I was just wondering what you would think the way forward is. 

[Griff]

6 minutes ago, londonrlfan said:

Without internationals, the RFL will be in an even worse position. 

No reason to book Old Trafford for a game against Scotland.

[Griff]

6 minutes ago, londonrlfan said:

Well because you seem to be against the idea of playing NH teams more. I was just wondering what you would think the way forward is. 

Surprisingly, I don't have the financial information you require at my fingertips.

[thebrewxi]

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/30/nrl-clubs-stand-firm-with-australia-and-new-zealand-over-rugby-league-world-cup

"NRL clubs stand firm with Australia and New Zealand over Rugby League World Cup"

 

I love this headline! the NRL clubs are Australia and NZ. This is not new news! It is just basically the people behind the throne coming out and publicly saying what they whispered into their puppet's ear a week ago. Why is it a new thing, deserving new headlines, to give their side more credence? 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

8 minutes ago, GeordieSaint said:

Absolutely not. 

Start slowly with your strongest opponent; France. Enable the others to play each other. Qualify to play against England and Frannce. Then a 3-nations etc etc... the WC qualifying process led by the ERL is a good example of a structure with teams playing at the correct level and qualifying for the next stage...

Before the pandemic we were planning on playing a restructured European Championship system where the different tiers were akin to a football Nations League type thing where I believe there was going to be promotion and relegation between the different tiered competitions. This is essentially what you are suggesting which I think is a good idea so why can't we just resurrect that competition? 

[londonrlfan]

1 minute ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

Before the pandemic we were planning on playing a restructured European Championship system where the different tiers were akin to a football Nations League type thing where I believe there was going to be promotion and relegation between the different tiered competitions. This is essentially what you are suggesting which I think is a good idea so why can't we just resurrect that competition? 

There won't be any money if the WC doesn't go ahead. 

[londonrlfan]

7 minutes ago, Griff said:

No reason to book Old Trafford for a game against Scotland.

I'm not suggesting that. We got 20k in Coventry before, so why not go back? 

[thebrewxi]

I'm running over a lot of this in my head today, and I remember a summary Tony Smith made a week or so ago to the BBC. He suggested the whole thing, and how I feel vs how a fan of an NRL club feels, is massively biased by how the general public in the UK vs Aus feel about Covid. 

Here, almost everyone know someone who's had it, if not had it themselves. Most have also been double vaccinated. In my case I have had 2 jabs, I suspect I had it in March 2020, and I spent the weekend hanging around a load of 20 somethings at musical festival and I'm fine now. We've had Wimbledon, Silverstone and the Euros. Yes 130+K people have died, but we need to start coming out of this, and we understand we need to be careful, but we can't put off these big events for ever, and we've proved we can manage it ok.

Oz: No one is double jabbed. If you go to the UK as a player it is likely you will get it. We don't know anyone who has had it. It kills people. We don't understand what  massive outbreak looks like and we are scared.

 

Are we as nations juts so far apart in our heads for this to work this year, and 2022 too (I'm not sure how Aus will ever open up TBH).

 

... or is it just  coup as I originally thought?

 

[thebrewxi]

1 minute ago, londonrlfan said:

I'm not suggesting that. We got 20k in Coventry before, so why not go back? 

I was there. Great day. Great League. Rubbish atmosphere. And that was with lots and lots of northern fans in attendance.

Missed the last train home too. Had to get an expensive, ###### taxi ride all the way back to Worcestershire (with my Welsh mate berating the taxi driver for hogging the middle lane all the way there!- I still berate him for it now, the chap was just doing his job) fun times 

[Dave T]

Whilst londonrlfan is making some crazy predictions which would bankrupt every tournament we play in, the overall point is right. 

But a starting point here would be getting 10k crowds for these games, then 15k, then 20k. But we won't just hire Annfield now and get 25k. We need to avoid this fantasy stuff. 

[GeordieSaint]

5 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Whilst londonrlfan is making some crazy predictions which would bankrupt every tournament we play in, the overall point is right. 

But a starting point here would be getting 10k crowds for these games, then 15k, then 20k. But we won't just hire Annfield now and get 25k. We need to avoid this fantasy stuff. 

The correct approach is to target areas of development; a key tenet of growing the sport to link to the domestic game(s). So where are those for England (and France/Wales et al). Answers on a postcard but I don't think Leigh, Leeds or Perpignan are those types of locations).

Edited July 30, 2021 by GeordieSaint

[EastLondonMike]

Strategy, strategy, strategy. Until we have one it wont matter what stadium we pick, or whose playing, or anything else.

As a sport we have to invest to grow, and we should start with investing in the right people.

I think we need a positive thread. I'm tempted to start one. Or i might just curse the ARLC some more.

Edited July 30, 2021 by EastLondonMike

[Dave T]

1 minute ago, GeordieSaint said:

The correct approach is to target areas of development; a key tenet of growing the sport to link to the domestic game(s). So where are those for England (and France/Wales et al). Answers on a postcard but I don't think Leigh, Leeds or Perpignan are those types of locations).

I think the mix has to be there. Not every England game should be focused on expansion, there is nothing wrong with serving your markets - all sports do that. There is nowt wrong with playing in Leeds 

But we often go too far in our shell - for me a three game series should always have a game in the North West, North East (Yorkshire), and one other (London, Newcastle, Coventry etc to your point.)

[Whippet13]

25 minutes ago, thebrewxi said:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/30/nrl-clubs-stand-firm-with-australia-and-new-zealand-over-rugby-league-world-cup

"NRL clubs stand firm with Australia and New Zealand over Rugby League World Cup"

 

I love this headline! the NRL clubs are Australia and NZ. This is not new news! It is just basically the people behind the throne coming out and publicly saying what they whispered into their puppet's ear a week ago. Why is it a new thing, deserving new headlines, to give their side more credence? 

Because it's an article from Australian Associated Press, which the Guardian have picked up and either lazily or maliciously (it's a pro-RU broadsheet) run with.

[GeordieSaint]

Just now, Dave T said:

I think the mix has to be there. Not every England game should be focused on expansion, there is nothing wrong with serving your markets - all sports do that. There is nowt wrong with playing in Leeds 

But we often go too far in our shell - for me a three game series should always have a game in the North West, North East (Yorkshire), and one other (London, Newcastle, Coventry etc to your point.)

Absolutely agree on both parts in bold. The mix for me would be when our SH "friends" come over... (and they will as there is money to be made on a nation vs nation Test Series). Then your NW, NE & ANO is a perfect fit.

France et al... I'd be a little bit bolder and take it to those development areas, where ever they may be.

[Devon Ram]

1 hour ago, gingerjon said:

The lower crowd for England v Australia at the Olympic Stadium was a direct result of the woeful set up of the previous game v New Zealand. I don’t think words can express how dire it was.

Yep i agree i traveled up from Devon it was wet i like many others had to go up to the stadium early to get my ticket due not being posted plus  inside was rubbish plus bloody stewards telling fans to remove flags & banners, they didn't do anything to help Rugby League to return to the Olympic Stadium. Saying all that got a great pic of me in my Dewsbury top thanks to a kind steward that day.

[thebrewxi]

25 minutes ago, Whippet13 said:

Because it's an article from Australian Associated Press, which the Guardian have picked up and either lazily or maliciously (it's a pro-RU broadsheet) run with.

It never used to be a pro-onion paper. Not sure what happened. 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

20 minutes ago, GeordieSaint said:

France et al... I'd be a little bit bolder and take it to those development areas, where ever they may be.

I think you're right here, seen as we don't get massive attendances against the other European nations anyway, we might as well take those games to development areas. If we're only going to get 5,000 for France in Leigh on a Thursday night we might as well take that game to a different area, play it at a more accommodating time and I wouldn't have thought it would be too difficult to get more than we would in Leigh.

I think I would be tempted to always play Wales in Wales for example. Seen as at home they tend to only get about 1,000 anyway, we might as well take an England game there and have a real go at getting maybe even 10,000 with fans travelling from the heartland and locals who just hate the English! In terms of Wales playing other European teams, I wouldn't have thought it would take too much effort to get more than 1,000. Even consistently getting, say 3,000 for those games would show progress. 

[Gerrumonside ref]

I know it's over - still I cling 
I don't know where else I can go 
Oh... 

… Oh Mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head